The world's worst racehorse? Meet Vote for Lust

By Matt Majendie

Updated 9:32 AM ET, Fri November 29, 2013

The world's worst racehorse?8 photos

At a canter – Introducing arguably the world's worst horse....Vote for Lust. The horse recently retired from racing but could well lay claim to being the world's slowest horse with 90 races without a solitary victory. There were second places over the years but two of those, came in what were two-horse races.

Hide Caption

1 of 8

The world's worst racehorse?8 photos

No luck with top jockey – In a bid to stop the rot towards the end of his career, he was paired with two-time Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Glen Boss in a bid to buck that trend.

Hide Caption

2 of 8

The world's worst racehorse?8 photos

Tailing off – Sponsored by the betting company Betfair and riding in their colours, Boss claimed that Vote for Lust showed promise for about 100 meters before tailing off.

Hide Caption

3 of 8

The world's worst racehorse?8 photos

'Lusty' – But owner John Castleman (pictured left) is full of praise for 'Lusty,' who proved a calming influence on the many other horses in his stable, calling him "everyone's mate."

Retirement came after its 90th run out -- ninety rides that came and went without a solitary victory.

For all his lack of pace and panache on the race track -- Vote for Lust's career fittingly ended with him being 12-and-a-half lengths off the pace in his racing finale -- he has enjoyed something of a cult following in Australia, with both a Facebook and Twitter page set up in his name.

Black Caviar statue unveiled 5 photos

Black Caviar statue unveiled5 photos

Bronze Caviar – Champion racehorse Black Caviar has been immortalized in bronze in its hometown of Nagambie in the Australian state of Victoria. The mare retired following a stellar racing career in which it won all 25 of its races.

Hide Caption

1 of 5

Black Caviar statue unveiled5 photos

Famous rump – The sculpture, by artist Mitch Mitchell, is lifesize, right down to the horses famous rump.

Hide Caption

2 of 5

Black Caviar statue unveiled5 photos

Crowd pleaser – Black Caviar's exploits on the racetrack earned it a legion of loyal fans in Australia, many of whom turned up for the unveiling.

Lucky Luke – Nolen stands alongside the sculpture of the horse which he rode to 22 of her 25 victories.

Hide Caption

5 of 5

EXPAND GALLERY

Australian super horse Black Caviar retires 10 photos

Australian super horse Black Caviar retires10 photos

Goodbye leading lady – As Britain laid its Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher to rest, on the other side of the world, Australians were mourning the departure of a different leading lady -- champion race horse Black Caviar.

Hide Caption

1 of 10

Australian super horse Black Caviar retires10 photos

Unbeatable mare – The six-year-old thoroughbred retired after an undefeated 25-win career. "She really gave her all and we thought what else can we achieve? She's been a great shining light for racing," said trainer Peter Moody (pictured).

Hide Caption

2 of 10

Australian super horse Black Caviar retires10 photos

Quarter century – The world's top-rated race horse, worth almost $8 million in prize money, bowed out after claiming her 25th victory at Sydney's TJ Stakes Day on Saturday.

Hide Caption

3 of 10

Australian super horse Black Caviar retires10 photos

Nation's darling – After her nailbiting win at Royal Ascot last year, Black Caviar took an eight-month break from racing. But the unbeatable horse didn't disappoint when she made a triumphant return to Melbourne's Flemington Race Course in February, securing her 23rd consecutive win.

Hide Caption

4 of 10

Australian super horse Black Caviar retires10 photos

Royal reception – Black Caviar's only overseas trip during her four-year career was to Britain's Royal Ascot, where it was later revealed she had been suffering from a leg injury. "She was courageous the way she won at Ascot," co-owner Colin Madden said. "It was at the end of a very long run of competitions -- she'd had five races that year and a trip to the UK."

Aussie Army – Thousands of fans turned out to Ascot's Diamond Jubilee Stakes to cheer on the "Wonder from Down Under."

Hide Caption

7 of 10

Australian super horse Black Caviar retires10 photos

Celebrity sprinter – Black Caviar appears on the December issue of Vogue Australia. It was the first time in the 53-year history of the magazine that a horse has featured on the front.

Hide Caption

8 of 10

Australian super horse Black Caviar retires10 photos

Future Frankel? – Beyond the track, Black Caviar may also have a profitable career as a breeding mare, with co-owner Madden hinting that champion British thoroughbred Frankel (pictured) could make a good match.

Hide Caption

9 of 10

Australian super horse Black Caviar retires10 photos

Phar lap's successor? – Comparisons have been drawn between Black Caviar and champion Australian race horse Phar Lap, who rose to fame during the Great Depression. Phar Lap's body is now housed in the Melbourne Museum.

Black Caviar extends winning streak

Just Watched

Black Caviar fans flock to Royal Ascot

Vote for Lust is indisputably Australia's worst race horse, with his closest rival being Jordi, who had 67 starts without a win.

As for laying claim to being the world's worst, Vote for Lust is in with a good shout, although he has some serious competition.

British horse Quixall Crossett was the first thoroughbred to lose 100 races in England in 2000 while the American horse Zippy Chippy also went 100 races without a win and also even lost a race with a minor-league baseball player.

Fan favorite

But even Vote for Lust's owner and trainer John Castleman struggles to believe that there could possibly be a worse horse on the planet.

Despite the track record of ignominy, Castleman admitted that hundreds of suitors had been lining up to buy this Australian underachiever after his retirement was announced.

But family came first for Castleman, who gave Vote for Lust to his 14-year-old granddaughter.

She is able to give him the sort of slow-speed riding that the 10-year-old specialized on the race course during his career.

During Vote for Lust's career punters laid all manner of bets on him to win -- all to no avail -- though Castleman was wily enough never to dip into his pocket to back the ultimate no hoper.

"He's beaten one or two out there at home but never in a race," said Castleman.

Twice on Melbourne Cup day, Vote for Lust ran in a two-horse race and on each occasion came home a distant second.

His last realistic chance for victory came at the Horsham Maiden in June 2009, a race specifically for horses that have never won. True to form Vote for Lust was nowhere to be seen at the winning post.

Sociable horse

Even jockey Glenn Boss -- a three-time Melbourne Cup winner -- could not get anything out of the luckless horse in a one-off outing.

With the horse sponsored by the betting company Betfair, Boss was brought in to ride him in his 87th outing in a public relations gimmick.

"There was a point where I thought 'here we go', but that lasted all of about 100 meters before his usual canter kicked in," said Boss, who attributed Lust for Last's lack of competitiveness to his amiability.

"He likes the outing but he's sociable and just wants to stay in the pack with his mates. If he could have a beer and a steak sandwich, I reckon he would."

At the time, the jockey was asked if he felt Vote for Lust might finally pull off a victory in what was then the twilight of his career. His answer was, "never say never," though Castleman's assessment, admittedly with a chuckle, was more brutal -- "never."

There is a certain parental pride from the owner in just how bad Vote for Lust was.

European horses winning in Australia

Just Watched

Meet an ambassador of horse racing

"If he'd have won that would have been no good would it?" he said. "Anyway, it just was not meant to be."

In the yard, he was known as either 'Bogey' or 'Lusty' although Castleman admitted: "There might have been other names too depending on what sort of mood I was in!"

Australians love a trier and to his credit there were times when Vote for Lust showed a glimmer of form -- usually in adverse weather conditions.

"There were a couple of occasions early on in his career when the rain was lashing down and he just kept on ploughing through. I thought he might have done it then. When he didn't do it then, I think I knew he'd never do it."

Calm nature

So why did Castleman keep on entering him in races?

"Well, horses don't pay for themselves do they?" said Vote for Lust's owner. "And anyway he'd still pick up some money for his places which would cover his feed and keep really."

For all the negativity about his racing prowess, or lack of it, Vote for Lust was invaluable as a horse for all occasions away from the track.

"He was good to have around the place, he was everyone's mate," said Castleman.

"He was quiet as hell and we'd take him to partner horses. He was so good natured, the calming influence on the more jittery horses. He just did everything you'd ever ask of him, that is apart from going fast.

"When we were breaking in horses, we'd have him tied up at the side and he'd just calm everyone down. He's just a bloody good bloke. For us, he was gold dust."

At races, Vote for Lust would welcome bigger crowds than the faster more successful horses.

Just Watched

The paintballing jockey

"Everyone would want to get his picture taken with him. It's crazy to think someone put him on the internet and he ended up with hundreds of people following him.

"Just as he retired, we had seven radio stations ring up for interviews, and people rang up asking if he was for sale. He's much loved, just sadly not for the right reasons."

Equine genealogy

Vote for Lust would still be racing had it not been for an abscess on his foot. Castleman had hoped to take him to at least 100 runs, after which he planned to host some sort of a party. In the end, that was not to be.

As for how he might have fared against Black Caviar, Castleman is certain that would have definitely have been a one horse race.

"There was a suggestion that he'd challenge Black Caviar in a race," said Castleman. "That would have been the mother of all mismatches."

It is just a few weeks since he handed over the horse to his granddaughter, and he readily admits he misses having him around the place.

But there is the potential for someone to follow in his footsteps.

He has a half-sister and half-brother in Castleman's stable.

The latter has been named 'He Ain't My Brother' to distance himself from his equine genealogy.

Despite that, he can't quite break the family shackles. In his few races to date, he has yet to taste victory.